Photo Challenge & Poem: Weathered

It’s winter; the sun comes up late
and flat yellow, without warmth.
A dusting of snow will stay on this
tumbleweed prairie and my hands
will stay stiff in my gloves. I hear
him before he comes into sight.

This bay horse trots as effortlessly
as he breathes, a proud cadence,
each pair of feet, front and back,
landing with sharp unison. A crisp
clop, one-two rhythm, perpetual as a
metronome ticking a blunt back beat,

hooves to ground, steam to whiskers.
Holding me frozen in his sway this
bay horse moves with the icy glide
and flow of a skater covering the
crystal earth with slick precision,
never dreaming of another season.

I have a question that has been bothering me and I wondered if you or some of your readers have a good answer. My heart is broken by the people in my area who do not take adequate care of their animals, especially in very cold weather. I hear their dogs outside barking and barking frantically late at night in zero degrees. I see horses in dried up grass fields with no hay and a frozen pond. I have contacted the local animal control people for wellness checks, but I don’t know if they just don’t happen or if the minimal care these animals receive is enough for authorities. My husband tells me I can’t do anything more,and to forget about it, but I see and hear these animals every day and it weighs on my conscience. What do you all do in this situation?